Rob Moseley wrote today that defensive back Dior Mathis is being tried at wide receiver. The redshirt freshman, 5-9 174-lb., was a two-way player at Cass Tech High School in Detroit. He runs an electronic 4.74 40, and at a 2010 Oregon indoor track meet he won a match race in the 60-yard dash that included LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, Lache Seastrunk and Eddie Pleasant. Not surprising, as he clocked a 10.4 100 meters as a prep.
So we know he’s fast. But can he catch the football? And will he find reps and emerge in a crowded receiver rotation that includes four similarly fast newcomers like Tacoi Sumler, Rahsaan Vaughn, Devon Blackmon and B.J. Kelley?
The move was described by Chip Kelly as a three-day experiment, citing Dior’s value as a special teams player and the added flexibility it would give to the traveling squad, having a utility player who was able to fill in both ways. Moseley said Mathis flashed his speed in drills today, but had some trouble catching the ball. Normal, really, since for an entire year he’s mainly practiced knocking it down.
There’s no denying Mathis’ athletic ability, but he’s not that far down the depth chart as a cornerback. Duck fans have to like the depth and competition over there, with John Neal having a sterling reputation for developing players and using a deep rotation. Speed kills on defense, too. Looking into a green-hazed crystal ball, you’d say the youngster from Detroit would get lost in the shuffle at receiver, but still has a chance to make an impact as a cover corner.
What’s behind the move is the normal wear and tear of fall camp. The receiver corps is depleted right now by dings and nicks. Josh Huff is in a helmet and shorts due to a leg injury, and Blake Cantu hasn’t been at practice since Tuesday. Though no announcement has been made, speculation is rampant Cantu may have to retire from football due to recurring problems with his shoulder. Not sure putting Mathis at the back of the line at WR is better than having him push Troy Hill and Terrance Mitchell for time at cornerback.
But fans been wrong before, and Oregon’s coaching staff has made some position switches over the last few years that were as brilliant as a LaMichael James’ 60-yard run. The key to position switches is identifying a player who is flexible, intelligent and athletic. Here are a few successes that stick out in recent Duck history:
Jeff Maehl
2007 was a nightmare year for injuries. The Ducks were decimated, particularly at wide receiver. Cam Colvin is out for the year with a broken leg, and a skinny defensive back with a good atttitude and good hands is asked to switch over to the offense. Maehl had excelled on the special teams (14 tackles in his first season) as a true freshman and looked like a good choice for the switch. He was–he caught two balls against UCLA in his debut, four catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in the ’07 Civil War.
Maehl went on to become one of Oregon’s all-time leading receivers, soaring to 1076 yards and a school record 12 touchdowns in his senior year. But it took an eye for talent and innovative thinking to get him over to offense. The switch worked out for Maehl also. He played in the East-West Shrine All-Star Game after his senior year, and signed a free agent contract with the Houston Texans.
Brandon Bair
Bair came to Oregon in 2006 from St. Anthony, Idaho as a skinny tight end. The coaches switch him over to defense in fall camp, and Brandon immediately showed great effort in his new assignment, making Scout Team Player of the Week six times in his redshirt year. He filled out, working hard in the weight room, and the rangy, high-motor defensive tackle, who started at defensive end, moved inside toward the end of 2008, recovering a fumble against Oregon State in the 65-38 Civil War and returning it 24 yards. He starred in both 2009 and 2010. In 2009 he had ten tackles versus Stanford, 45 for the year, tops among the d-linemen. As a senior he was second team All-Pac-10, a fierce effort guy who had 16 tackles per loss and eight pass breakups. Bair’s currently in camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Spencer Paysinger
Spitty P became a fan favorite at linebacker for his heady play and all-around effort, but he was signed as a high school wide receiver like his brother Brian. Paysinger caught 54 balls for 1,093 yards his senior year at Beverly Hills High School, for a gaudy 20.2-yard average. As a Duck, however, Paysinger settled in at linebacker and was starting by his sophomore year, returning an interception 70 yards for a touchdown against the Beavers in 2008. In his three years starting, Paysinger racked up 95, 81, and 76 tackles, giving him 156 for his career. Good call on the position assignment, coach. He’s currently fighting for a spot on the New York Football Giants, and he’s impressed in camp and exhibition games.
Dion “The Preying Mantis” Jordan
Jordan came to the Ducks as a tight end, and right now it’s a temptation to ask him to take on double duty as the Ducks’ ranks at his old position are racked by injuries to Brandon Williams (career ending and Curtis White (career stalling). The staff switched him to defensive end because they liked his rangy athletic ability and strength, plus his imposing wing span, and Jordan has shown flashes of brilliance in his new position. He had two sacks in the Spring Game, and displays incredible agility, either rushing the quarterback or dropping into the flat as Oregon’s “drop end” in the 3-4 alignment. Jordan had four solo tackles in the National Championship Game, and hopes to build on that performance this year. He runs a 4.77 40. His first season at DE he recorded 33 tackles, 2 sacks, and 5.5 tackles for loss.
For the Duck defense to truly jell in 2011, they need Jordan to play with the intensity of Maehl, Paysinger and Bair, and achieve his potential. If he does so, he could join them in two years in the League.
Terrence Whitehead
Whitehead was a hard-nosed running back from Crenshaw High in Los Angeles, the school of current Duck De’Anthony Thomas. Though signed with the Ducks as a linebacker/safety, he switched in his freshmen year after injuries depleted Gary Campbell’s backfield. Good thing, because starter Onterrio “Whizzinator” Smith went down with an injury and the freshman Whitehead was pressed into the starting role. He handled it beautifully, running hard and showing good hands out of the backfield. Whitehead went on to record two 1,000-yard seasons as an Oregon tailback, finishing his career 8th on the all-time rushing list.
And one that should have happened:
Dante Rosario was wasted as an Oregon tight end and H-back. Oh, he had a good college career at the position and made it to the NFL, but 6-4, 240-lb. Rosario would have been an awesome, dominating linebacker, playing every down in the middle of the defense. The Oregon quarterbacks forgot about him so many times, he might have caught just as many balls from the opponent in some games. Rosario is the one position switch many Duck fans wish they could have made themselves, and Register-Guard x’s and o’s columnist Ken Woody has echoed that sentiment.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
